'The Crown' Actress Anna Chancellor's Daughter Has Died
Poppy, an illustrator and paper cut artist, was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year.
British actress Anna Chancellor is mourning the loss of her daughter Poppy. The Crown and Downton Abbey star and her family announced in a heartbreaking statement shared to Poppy's Instagram account on Sept. 30 that the illustrator and paper-cut artist died a day earlier after having been diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. Poppy was 36.
"To all you wonderful and most-loved friends of Poppy. We send you this message with our deepest love," the statement, shared alongside a childhood photo of Poppy, began. "On September 29 Poppy died, held tight by her immediate family just as she had wished. Despite every effort, her body could not continue any longer. We will be forever grateful to her kind and loving care team at the Royal Marsden."
"So we, her family and friends who all adore her join the other families who have lost their loved ones far too young. We continue to pray and support her in any way we can to further her soul's journey," the message continued. "Poppy was and is an unbelievable life force of creativity, compassion, wit, beauty and sheer uniqueness. She transformed our lives and we are beyond grateful. With all our love, Anna, Redha, Jonny & Tara."
Poppy was Chancellor's only child. The actress welcomed Poppy in 1988 with the poet Jock Scot. Poppy was an illustrator and artist who worked for brands including Adidas, Cath Kidston, and Coco de Mer. Sky News reports she was featured in magazines including Vogue and Elle. In 2016, she published her first book, Cut It Out!. According to the Daily Mail, King Charles is rumored to own one of Poppy's artworks, which is said to have been given to him as a thank-you after she attended an artists' residence at his stately home, Dumfries House, in Ayrshire.
After being diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year, Poppy in May opened up to the Daily Mail about her battle against the disease, telling the outlet, "I am terrified and physically exhausted – at the same time as learning to talk to my body and cells with loving defiance." Throughout her battle, Poppy also kept her followers up-to-date on Instagram, in August sharing a photo of herself in a hospital bed following a stem cell transplant.
News of her passing sparked a wave of support for her family. Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor commented, "I never met Poppy, but what she put out into the world brought me joy. What a bright and beautiful soul. I'm heartbroken to hear she's not here. She definitely made a mark." Actress Ellie Taylor wrote, "I am so incredibly incredibly sorry. I have one of Poppy's paper cut prints and it's one of my absolute favourite things in my house. Thank you for your art, creativity and energy Poppy x."
Considered one of the UK's most successful actresses, Chancellor is well-known for her roles in Downton Abbey, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and What a Girl Wants. She also starred in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and appeared in The Crown Season 2 as Lady Rosse -also known as Anne Parsons – the mother of Tony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode), who becomes Princess Margaret's husband.